Penn State Football: 10 storylines that will define Nittany Lions’ 2021 season

8. Penn State Football’s Defensive End

Defensive end is an interesting position to keep an eye on as the season kicks off. Penn State loses both Odafe (Jayson) Oweh and Shaka Toney from last season to the NFL. Additionally, Adisa Isaac, will miss this season with an injury that he suffered away from the football field.

This unit will be led by Arnold Ebiketie, who transferred from Temple over the offseason. CBS Sports listed Ebiketie as one of the top impact transfers nationally.

Nick Tarburton will more than likely be the second starter at defensive end. Tarburton has a ton of potential, but he has not seen much action so far in his career, as he has struggled to stay healthy.

There are a pair of position switches to the defensive end spot as well to watch for. The first being Jesse Luketa, who Franklin said will play a hybrid role between linebacker and defensive end. The second is Zuriah Fisher, who was approached by the coaching staff in January regarding a position switch from linebacker to defensive end, according to 247 Sports. Can Fisher find his role and make an impact in his new position?

The final potential storyline at this position to keep an eye on…does Hakeem Beamon move out to defensive end from the defensive tackle position? Beamon certainly has the body type and athleticism to make the switch. Will it be needed due to the lack of depth at defensive end?